Family Can Be a Loving Thing
by Ashleigh Crawley
Summary: Rose learns of love from the Crawleys during her stay at Downton. All characters will be included at some point. From Rose's POV.
1. Introduction

_Author's Note: Alright, so, this fic is going to be told from Rose's POV while she is staying at Downton. Most chapters will focus on relationships between characters, while others will take place during events and such. The story is Rose learning of love from upstairs and downstairs at Downton._

Introduction

I had to admit, I was glad I had been sent to stay with the Crawleys at Downton while Mummy and Daddy were in India. It gave me a chance to see that family didn't have to be like mine, but instead quite loving, happy and supportive. Even after Cousin Sybil had married the chauffeur, she was loved and welcomed by the family, and so was he. Even now, after she was gone, they still cherished Tom as part of the family. Cousin Isobel and Cousin Mary both had dark times after Cousin Matthew's death, but the family supported them both during their struggles. And I didn't just learn of love from the upstairs family, but the downstairs family as well, even the combined family of upstairs and downstairs. The servants protected their masters, and the masters protected their servants. Daddy had wanted me to learn about family and love, and I had done. There was so much love at Downton and it was quite easy to see.


	2. Part One: Robert and Cora, Lesson One

Part One: Cora and Robert

_Lesson One: Sleeping Arrangements _

Cousin Robert and Cousin Cora had a notorious marriage. Not necessarily in a bad way, although some would say that. Their marriage was notorious because they loved each other, which was unusual for the aristocracy. My parents didn't love each other and that was the norm for the circumstances under which most of the aristocracy married. Now, Cousin Robert hadn't loved Cousin Cora from the beginning, but they certainly loved each other now. When I was younger, I grew up believing that all married couples, proper married couples slept in separate rooms, which I thought was silly. But when I visited Aunt Violet at Downton the first time, I saw how much Cousin Robert and Cousin Cora loved and relied on each other for support. I wondered if when Cousin Cora needed him in the middle of the night to talk, whether he was there for her, or she had to go and knock on his door. I didn't figure out the answer to my thoughts until they visited Duneagle. The last time they had visited, I was too young to remember, or to pay much attention, but daddy told me to pay attention to them, and the rest of their family. That's when I figured out that the two of them did share a room, rather than separate rooms. I wasn't going to ask them why, as I assumed the question and the act were both improper, and also since maybe they didn't sleep together all the time, just sometimes. That had to be okay, right?

When I arrived at Downton, I noticed that Cousin Robert kept a separate room from Cousin Cora, making me believe that they slept separately at home. But one night, soon into my stay, I needed to ask Cousin Robert something late at night. I spent some time knocking on his bedroom door, to receive no answer. I wondered if anything was wrong, and went to see if Cousin Cora knew where he was. Just as I was about to knock on her door however, I heard a small giggle. It was Cousin Cora. Even though I knew it was the wrong thing to do, I pressed my ear against her door, listening to what was going on, and what was so funny. I heard rhythmic thumping and more giggles, groans and gasps. I was wondering what on Earth Cousin Cora could be doing making all that noise, until I heard Cousin Robert's voice say after a moment of brief silence: "Oh, Cora, you are simply wonderful, my darling princess. As much as I love making love to you, that was our fourth time and we need sleep. Come let me hold you," he said before I heard more noise, what sounded like kissing.

"Of course Robert," Cora said. "I love you."

"And I love you," Cousin Robert replied.

I then realized two things. One, Cousin Robert would not be able to answer my question at the moment. Two, married couples could sleep together if they were happy and in love.


	3. Part One: Robert and Cora, Lesson Two

Part One: Robert and Cora

_Lesson Two: Simple Companionship_

Cousin Cora and Cousin Robert had shocked me a few days back when I discovered that they still made love and slept in the same bed. Once mummy decided that she didn't want anymore children, and later found out she couldn't have any more at all, even if she wanted them, her and daddy had not spent the night together at all. Not at all. Cousin Cora was slightly younger than mummy, but I didn't think that she and Cousin Robert had any more chances at having a baby. Cousin Cora hadn't had a baby since Cousin Sybil. There had been rumours before the war that she was gaining weight and looking more tired and such. People thought she was pregnant, but no, she wasn't. Not to my knowledge anyway, but people rarely tell me anything anyway. I watched them closely throughout the next few days.

First thing I noticed, when Cousin Robert took Isis out for her walk, he invited Cousin Cora to go with him. She nodded and looked utterly pleased. She looked at him as if he were the most amazing and accomplished man the world had ever seen. I was sure it was the look of love. Mummy never looked at daddy like that. Cousin Cora looked at Cousin Robert like that all the time. All the looks she gave him were of love, and he did the same with her. I decided to take a walk in the gardens about 10 minutes after Cousin Cora and Cousin Robert had left with Isis.

In the gardens, I encountered something even less expected than the other night. Cousin Cora and Cousin Robert were sitting on a bench, Isis chasing something a little while a way. Although, sitting on a bench may not be the correct term. Cousin Cora was on her back on the bench and Cousin Robert was leaning over top of her, the two of them obviously whispering and kissing. Cousin Cora giggled at something as Cousin Robert... well, it looked as if he had just caressed her breast through her dress. She leaned up and kissed him softly, running her hands over his shoulders and everything. She grasped the back of his neck as Cousin Robert's hand dropped to pull up Cousin Cora's dress.

I knew I was seeing something I should not, so I left and went back inside. When Cousin Robert and Cousin Cora returned about an hour later, they were quite rumpled from their excursions out on that garden bench. Cousin Cora smiled to herself as Cousin Robert led her upstairs for 'a nap before tea'. They were also late for tea that day. I then knew that simple companionship, walking together, reading together, just doing things together, wasn't simply friendship for Cousin Robert and Cousin Cora, it was part of their love for one another. It made me happy to know that they loved each other all the time, not just on occasion.


	4. Part One: Robert and Cora, Lesson Three

Part One: Robert and Cora

_Lesson Three: Don't Let Go_

I had already learned so much at Downton, mostly from Cousin Cora and Cousin Robert's marriage, not being a social norm, but so much better than that. They did everything together, loved each other at all times, whether they were alone or being watched by the world, they were each others best friend and they were the most faithful couple I had met who had a marriage as long as theirs. Mummy didn't know, but daddy did have the occasional dalliance. He was lonely, no one could blame him for wanting to feel something. So much had threatened to pull Cousin Cora and Cousin Robert apart, but they always came out stronger. One night, after I caught them on the garden bench, completely unknown to them, I remembered that I had left my magazine in the library, so I left my room to retrieve it. I entered the library as silently as possible, before I noticed Cousin Robert holding a sobbing Cousin Cora in his arms. He kissed her head and shushed her gently, lovingly.

"I know, Cora, I know," he whispered. "We all miss her. I don't think we'll ever stop missing our darling Sybil. Nor will we stop missing Matthew."

"But we lost them so closely together," she cried, clutching him. "Don't ever go anywhere, not anywhere out of my sight, and don't ever let go of me. Promise. Promise me that, Robert. I can't lose you, ever. It will end me."

"Cora, my love. I'm not going anywhere. I promise," he said, holding on to her. "Not until I have to."

"Well, when's that, because I can't live a second without you, so I'll need to beg to die at the same time. God needs an exact time reference," she cried, looking up at him. "And in losing Sybil and Matthew, I've learned that you can never take a single second with the people you love for granted, because you never know."

"Cora, I don't know when I'm going to go, but I promise that you won't be without me," he replied. "I promise."

"Well, how long can a woman live with a broken heart, because I'll last less time than that. If I lose you, my heart will be ripped out of my chest and thrown away," she whispered. "I need you more than I could ever need any one else."

"I know, Cora, I know," he replied, kissing her head. I forgot all about my magazine and went upstairs and cried myself to sleep. I felt so horrible for them, losing their youngest daughter and Cousin Robert's heir less than a year apart. They had lost so much, been through so much together and they were still so strong. Mummy wouldn't be as lost as Cousin Cora if mummy lost daddy. Cousin Cora would be a wreck without Cousin Robert, she could never let him go. Before I met Cousin Cora and Cousin Robert and looked at their marriage, I didn't believe in true love, nor did I know what I wanted in a marriage, but now I knew. True love was real and I was simply a Cora, searching and searching for my Robert.


End file.
